your children and alcohol (teenager content)

number 1 son is 15, him and a group of mates are off into the woods to camp tonight, i suspected alcohol was going to be involved, which he confirmed as i saw him on his lunch break on friday and he asked me to buy him some. i refused at the time. his mum, my ex has bought him some, cider i think, which i don't disagree with. we discussed it and on one hand i'm pleased we as parents had some input and that he was able to talk to us, on the other hand will he die? will i die? i'm more bothered that they'll set fire to the woods or something daft, but i don't want to spoil it for him by turning up in the night...should i be taking a sneaky look?

This is a divisive subject, but I also think you must have a pretty healthy relationship with him if he can be that open with you about it. It's fair to say that at this age they are going to get up to this sort of thing anyway, so it's better to know about it than not. Not sure about the actual buying the alcohol thing, but to be fair, I suppose at least then you retain a little control over the type and quantity; ie cider not spirits etc

No law has been broken . You can give your kids alcohol from 5. That's not the same as buying alcohol for buying kids on the street you don't know. Clearly your ex is not grooming.

I'd be a bit worried just because things can go wrong. Also while we're worrying whose woods and who else is going?

I'd be having a friendly chat about alcohol poisoning and the need for restraint. It depends so much on your son and his friends

My son went to a post prom party on Friday (he is 16 tomorrow). I just asked he did drink at the sleep over afterwards he says not hugely. I hadn't even remembered to ask if drink was on offer as I trust him and more importantly his mates.

he says asking for booze for the woods sounds a bit dodgy. He recommends watching the Inbetweeners episode based on this very plot

I'm still mainly thinking whose wood

Actually not so sure on the law. Its not the buying is it or the letting them drink it. Its the sending them off with it into a public place that's naughty. However I don't think the law on drink is really the big thing here

[I[It is a troll but 15 is too young IMO. Lots of evidence to suggest people who do start drinking at that age are far more likely to develop dependency problems later on in life.

It's parental choice at the end of the day. Lets just hope they don't get drunk followed by the police turning up and asking where they got the booze from. [/I]

And just as much evidence that not 'learning' about alcohol when younger does just as much damage - look at the States for one, only legal from 21.

And AFAIK its not illegal to someone under 18 alcohol, although you'd think otherwise (friend of mine wasn't allowed to buy alcohol in the Co-op because they had their teenage daughter with them - its was a decent bottle of white wine FFS).

Although some confusion is possible:

Between the ages of 5 and 17, it is legally permissible for children to drink alcohol at home or at a friend's house with the permission of a parent or legal guardian.

and

Purchasing alcohol on behalf of a minor is illegal in all of the United Kingdom. This means acting as the young person's agent.

Doesn't sound like a dick head otherwise he'd already have a supply. Probably more likely to have a few beers, nod off and try and cop off with a girl well out of his league. Not start the vomit indirection.

Given what some of my mates aged 40+ are getting up to at ssukg this weekend the thought of 15 year olds recreating it is a bit terrifying I'm sure that he'll survive.....and in years to come will post up his antics on a stw thread called 'tell me about the worst thing you've done when pissed'

Teach him to go to sleep in the recovery position so he doesn't choke on his own vomit. Job done. My old man told me I could do what I liked as long as I took responsibility for it,and if I ever came home lashed he would give me a good hiding. Needless to say I always sobered up first.

At that age I used to do exactly the same thing. We would drink, have camp fires, eat over cooked baked potatoes and wonder where all the girls were

If he asked you and his mum to help him out with getting some booze you are on to a winner. If he was pretending that it would be all tee total, then i would worry. He will probably get smashed. It probably won't be the last time. But so long as there are plenty of other things in his life he is bothered about then it will only serve to teach him that getting paralytic in a field is a mugs game. Life is best learnt by doing it. For everything else there is the Internet.

I started my drinking at his age in the back street pubs of Bradford in the early sixties with work mates. Everyone knew we were under age but we learnt to blend into the background & keep a low profile. The local bobbies were more tolerant back then too.
When my son and his pals (I knew them well) also headed to the woods I reminded him of the way we kept out of trouble. As we never heard of any issues we assumed all was well.
Times are different now with binge drinking & antisocial problems but I have happy memories of those under age years

My daughter will be 17 in August and for the past year or so I've bought her a couple of bottles of bacardi Breezer If she has been at a friends party or get together.
My train of thought is I did much worse at her age and drank all sorts and smoked all sorts. It also takes away the chance of her asking some seedy bloke to buy them drink. For her 16 th we had a garden party at her house that we were in attendance but kept a low profile. I have to say I was actually shocked at how well behaved the kids were .

stanfree » My daughter will be 17 in August and for the past year or so I've bought her a couple of bottles of bacardi Breezer If she has been at a friends party or get together.
My train of thought is I did much worse at her age and drank all sorts and smoked all sorts. It also takes away the chance of her asking some seedy bloke to buy them drink. For her 16 th we had a garden party at her house that we were in attendance but kept a low profile. I have to say I was actually shocked at how well behaved the kids were .